Power screw driver



Aug. 1, 1950 s. v. JONES POWER SCREW 1mm 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1947 INVENTOR $.V. (JCNES Zz/QWW AITYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1947 m .im

INVENTOR Patented Aug. 1, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE POWER SCREW DRIVER Stanley V. Jones, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Application August 15, 1947, Serial No. 768.893

This invention relates to a power screwdriver for feeding and driving screws.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a magazine cylinder for power screw driving tools generally in combination with a simplified structure of screw feeding attachment for the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a distinctive cylindrical magazine for tools of this class capable of storing a large number of screws and which may be applied to or removed fromthe tool at the option of the operator. A further object of the invention is to provide a magazine as before which is of a simple construction and which is adapted to be recharged when empty by a suitable loading machine, the latter not being illustrated in the present specification. 1

With these and other objects in view, my invention generally comprises an attachment for conventional power screwdrivers which forms a screw feeding mechanism adapted to project a screw against the work article and including a drive connection from the power screwdriver for driving the screw into the article.

A removable magazine is included in a combination of the present invention with the attachment described and is of a cylindrical nature, being designed to store a plurality of screws in longitudinal channels in its inner surface such that the points of the screws are disposed toward an axis of the cylinder. Means are provided in the mounting for the cylinder employed in fixingthe same relative to said attachment whereby the cylinder may be rotated manually to align each of the loaded channels thereof with the feeding mechanism of the attachment.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a study of the following specification taken iniconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of. a power screwdriver mounting the present screw feeding attachment, the latter having its cylinder mounting superstructure partially cut away.

7 Figure 2 is an end view of the magazine cylinder of the present invention in cut away section showing the same mounted in the cylinder mounting, the latter being partially cut away to reveal stop locking means for aligning the cylinder relative to the attachment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the attachment of Figure 1 and the magazine cylinder mounted thereon.

Figure 4 is a partial plane view of the feeding mechanism of the attachment 01? Figure 1.

3 Claims. (Cl. 144-3 2) Iii Figure 5 is an end view of the feeding jaws from the end of the attachment shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a partial sectional view of an alternative method of forming the slots for the magazine of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure l, a powerscrewdriver I is shown mounting the attachment III by a threaded coupling 12 threaded as at I3 as shown more specificallyin Figure '3. The coupling 12 forms an integral part of the inner sleeve l4 and an annular ring l extends outwardly adjacent thereto. An outer sleeve 16 has an inner bore l1 designed for slidable relation with the piston portion [8 of sleeve H, the latter sleeve being retained within the bore 11 with regard to maximum limit of extension of these telescopically related members by the threaded retaining ring 19 at one end thereof.

The other end 20 of outer sleeve 1611s adapted to receive the mounting block 21 of the screw feeding jaw assembly 22. The mounting block 2! is removable from. the bore ll but is held in aligned position within the bore by screws 23 shown in Figure l, which passes through longitudinal slots 24 of sleeve 16 for engagement into the mounting block 21. Resilient strap means 24, 25 and 26 extend from the mounting block 21 to mount an under jaw 21 andupper jaws 281 and 29 by suitable screws iil. The mounting not: has an axial bore Zia for slidable reception of a plunger 31, the latter extending through into the screw feeding jaw assembly 22 between the jaws thereof, the jaws of which are cut away to form a. bore 32 for slidable reception of the plunger. The ends of. the jaws described are internally cut away to forma smaller bore 33 adapted for passage of the shank34 of screw 35. Bores 2m and 32 and plunger 3| approximate a diametrical dimension of the head 36 of the largestsize of screw to be handled by the present. apparatus. The apparatus preferably is designed to handle ranges of sizes, an illustrative range being screw sizes from number five to ten.

The outer sleeve. 16 mounts a fin 36a having a sloping track portion 31 at the discharge end thereof. A mounting cradle 38 extends upwardly from the fin sea as shown in Figure 2, having a spring clamp 39 to receive and hold a cylindrical magazine 40. Spring clamp 39 is hinged. as at 41, the other end being undulated as at 42 to engage th recess 43 olf the cradle. Magazine is slot ted longitudinallyin its inner surface, slots 44 3 many alternatives will be possible in the specific construction adopted. Thus in Figure 6, the magazine cylinder wall 41 of cylinder 40 is shown supporting the sheet metal lug strips 48 which have a lug portion 49 and flanges 5b, the latter being spot-welded to the wall 41. The adoption of a particular design will be governed by cost of manufacture and must insure that screws 46 are freely slidable in slots 44 or 44a as the case may bef- Slots of themagazine will be loaded by hand if'desired, and I have found that a magazine about five inches long and four inches in diameter will hold about 900 number ten screws. surface 5!! of cylinder til is recessed as at 5i, preferably below each slot 44 to be engaged bythe locking ball 52 when a screw 48 is aligned with the fin 36a. The ball 52 is mounted within the bore 53 (Figure 2) of fin 33a in the conventional man ner, by a suitable spring 54. The cylinder therefore may be rotated mainly within the cradle 38 and will be positioned-at each predetermined amount of rotation such thata screw 46 may be aligned with the fin 36c and with the track 37 of Figures 1 and 3. y

The feeding mechanism of the present'apparatus forms part of the attachment II and is mounted on the mounting plane 55 extending from fin 36a to one side and forwardly thereof. A transverse ejector member 56 is slidably mounted in the ejector plate. 51, fastened to plate 55 and as the spaced apart upwardly extending lugs 58 designed to be engaged by the finger 59 of the bell crank, release arm 60, the latter arm is anchored by tne spring means 5! to the plate 55 by a suitable anchoring screwtt to restrain the :same from clockwise rotation and cause its return to the normal position shown. Actuator arm 63 extends from the bell crank arm till and is disposed to be engaged by the actuating rod -64 which is slidably mounted in the mounting bracket 65 fixed to outer sleeve I6 and extends .zrearwardly to engage the annular ring I5 by the "annular recessed engaging'member .66. Therefore, as sleeves I5 and Ifiaretelescoped, actuating rod I54 will engage the actuating member 63 causing the bell crank arm 6%] to rotate clockwise to allow a screw (not shown). to pass down the track Bl oif the discharge end 31a thereof into the portion indicated in Figure 3 by the screw 61. As the bell crank arm is rotated clockwise,

' the finger 59 thereof engaging lugs '53 of ejector '56 causes the latter to thrust latterly to urge a "particular screw forwardly by'its sloping face 56a and retain the remaining screws'in the track 31 i by the face 56b. As theiactuating rod 64 is withdrawn by withdrawing "inner-sleeve I4 substantially out of enclosure within sleeve I6, bell crank 'arm will rotate counterclockwise to restrain further progress of the screws 68 along track 31 upon automatic retraction of ejector 56.

Referring to Figure'3 specifically, it will be ob serVed that the jaws 28 and 29 are cut away to form a breach opening 69 designed to'receive a screw 6'! as shown. While the plunger 3I engages the head 36 of 'screw35 by'the engaging member '3Ia, screw 8'! is prevented from falling into bore "32. The screw 35 may therefore be engaged in An outer be retracted by the operator withdrawing the sleeve I4 from substantial enclosure within sleeve I6 through a grip applied to the sleeve I6 on the one hand and the power screwdriver ID on the other, simulating a pumping action as is conventional with pumping guns and the like. If the plunger 3I is retracted, the screw 61 will be allowed to drop into bore 32 and will be thrust into the bore 33 of the jaws upon telescoping of sleeves Hand It by a driving pump action of the operator to drive the screw home in a work piece.

It will be apparent that the apparatus described will accomplish the objects of the invention outlined and that many alternatives will be obvious to skilled persons with regard to the structure of the cylindrical magazine and the manner of mounting the same to the simplified structure of attachment disclosed.

The present apparatus is in the attachment class which may be attached to conventional "power screwdriver and is therefore of great advantage in general shop work where interchangeability is a requirement for eiiiciency of production.

In order to insure normal operating position for the mechanism described, I prefer to include a sprin I0 which engages the mounting block 2| and the chuck (not shown) of the power screwdriver I0 to insure expansible relation between sleeves i4 and I8. Although a specific structure has been shown for the various elements for the present attachment and magazine it will be appreciated that other ejecting means may be employed. Moreover, other types of jaw mechanisms may be preferred in some instances, although it may be noted that in the present device the jaws are removable.

In view of obvious modifications which may be effected by skilled persons and which may be within the spirit of the present invention, it is intended that the present disclosure should not be limited in any way other than that indicated nularspaced relation to said plunger, an outer sleeve slida-ble on said tubular member, an expandable jaw mechanism having a breach open: 'ing' and mounted on the free end of said sleeve in axial alignment with said plunger, screw feed- 'ing mechanism including a defiectable screw retaining member mounted on said outer sleeve adjacent said breach opening, means for limiting the slidable movement of said outer sleeve relative to saidtubular member in one direction inexpanded relation so that the screw engaging end of said plunger is withdrawn from said breach opening corresponding to the normal position. of. the components of said attachment, spring, means for retaining said outer sleeve in expanded relation. with .respect to said inner sleeve [and actuating means extending between said screw feeding mechanism and said tubular member; for causingwithdrawal of said screw retaining; member to release a screw from said mechanism into said breach opening when said ;plun jr;;is' moved through said jaw mechanism against thejpressure of said spring means.

2. An automatic screw feed attachment as claimed in claim 1 in which the screw feeding mechanism comprises an inclined track having side flanges designed to slidably support a plurality of screws by their heads, and wherein the deflectable screw retaining member consists of a bell crank arm pivotally mounted adjacent said track and having a screw retaining arm extending thereacross adjacent the breach opening of the expandable jaw mechanism and having a spring for retaining the same in a position normally across said track, an ejector member slidable in a direction latterly of and over said track and spaced one screw width behind the adjacent edge of said retaining arm, and means extending between said bell crank arm and said ejector member providing movement of the latter into the path of screws moving along said track toward the breach opening when said retaining arm is deflected.

3. An automatic screw feed attachment as claimed in claim 1 in which the screw feeding mechanism comprises an inclined track having side flanges designed to slidably support a plurality of screws by their heads, a bell crank arm pivotally mounted adjacent said track and having a screw retaining arm extending thereacross adjacent the breach opening of the expandable jaw mechanism, a spring for retaining said arm in a position normally across said track, an ejector member slidable in a direction latterly of said track and having a sloping face spaced one screw width behind the adjacent edge of said retaining arm, means extending between said bell crank arm and said ejector for causing the latter to pass into the path of screws moving along said track toward the breach opening when said retaining arm is deflected, the means extending between said tubular member and said feeding mechanism comprising an actuating rod, means extending from said outer sleeve for slidably mounting said actuating rod, an annular recessed member at one side of said actuating rod and a flange on said tubular member engaged in the recess of said engaging member, and an actuating member extending from said bell crank arm for engagement by the other end of said actuator rod.

STANLEY V. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,815,594 Shaw et a1. July 21, 1931 2,255,827 Snyder Sept. 16, 1941 2,261,134 Blair Nov. 4, 1941 2,368,552 La Place Jan. 30, 1945 2,373,992 Billinghurst Apr. 17, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 678,145 Germany July 10, 1939 

